Nov. 19: A week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Singapore, the government of the city state has lifted restrictions on its nationals attending Modi's public meeting there on November 24.

Singapore's authorities, it is learnt, have been persuaded to let its citizens attend the address by an alien head of government - albeit a valued guest - by prominent Singaporeans, including some who have held very senior positions in the local government.

These prominent Singaporeans, most of them of Indian ancestry, are fully trusted by authorities there and their advice on all matters highly valued. Some of these veterans have been associated with the city state's legendary leader Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away a few months ago.

Several of them have a track record of helping rebuild the city state's ties with India during P.V. Narasimha Rao's prime ministership after a prolonged period when bilateral relations hit a plateau or simply went downhill.

There is no formal announcement of any change in policy regarding Modi's public address and the registration form for the November 24 meeting being used by the organisers, "NAMO in Singapore", to issue passes for the event continues to hint at the earlier restrictions.

However, following a change in mind by the local government, ethnic Indian associations which are working with NAMO in Singapore have been instructed to let their members know that Singaporeans are now permitted to go and listen to Modi.

Understandably perhaps, the Singapore Gujarati Society was the first off the block to announce an end to prohibition on its citizen-members from attending their state compatriot and leader's event in their midst.

The society's president, Biren S. Desai, yesterday sent out a circular to members, informing them that "they have corrected some parameters whereby which (sic!) both NRIs (non-resident Indians) as well as Singapore citizens of our Society can register.

Please register ASAP if you are interested to attend the event."

Other ethnic Indian organisations confirmed that they are in the process of similarly informing their members of the new ground rules for participation.

Desai's circular explained that "we have received information from the organizers - Singapore NRI Forum - that registration is still open and can now be done directly on their website www.namoinsingapore.org."

This raises the curious possibility that sensing official resistance to a public address by a foreign leader on Singapore's soil behind the backs of its authorities, even NRIs and permanent residents were unenthusiastic about registering for the November 24 function. The organisers were ambivalent on this when questioned.

In Dubai and in San Jose, to mention two recent examples, registration for Modi's Indian community meetings exceeded the capacity of the venues three weeks to a month before they were to take place.

If seats are still available at Singapore Expo - as Indian community organisation circulars assert - this tells a story that is at variance with the US or the UAE.

The organisers were, however, in no doubt that with the Singapore authorities changing their mind on citizen participation, filling up the venue will no longer be a problem. The public meeting will be Modi's last event during his two-day stay in Singapore before returning to India to face a potentially turbulent session of Parliament.